RE/MAX is proud to partner with the Western Hockey League to present “WHL Suits Up with Don Cherry to Promote Organ Donation – Presented by RE/MAX.” On March 3rd, the Medicine Hat Tigers will play the Red Deer Rebels in a special theme game night, complete with a variety of special promotions for fans in attendance.

The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a special-edition Don Cherry bobblehead, while other fans will receive a limited-edition Don Cherry trading card, courtesy of Upper Deck. Fans can also take a selfie with a life-size stand-up cut out of Don Cherry.

The March 3rd theme game is part of a larger RE/MAX of Western Canada partnership, which includes games in 17 Canadian markets throughout the 2017/18 WHL season. Western Canada RE/MAX agents are the official agents of the WHL.

“RE/MAX of Western Canada is excited to partner with Don Cherry and the WHL to help promote the importance of organ donation. These themed games will be fun for fans, and will help generate support for the Kidney Foundation of Canada,” says Elton Ash, Regional Executive Vice President, RE/MAX of Western Canada.

On the ice, the Medicine Hat Tigers will sport their own unique and specially-designed Don Cherry-themed jersey. Fans will have the opportunity to bid on the limited-edition jerseys, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to local chapters of the Kidney Foundation. In addition to game-worn uniforms, fans will have the chance to bid on one Don Cherry-autographed jersey worn by Medicine Hat Tiger players.

The Kidney Foundation is a cause close to the Cherry family. Don’s son, Tim, received a kidney transplant from his sister Cindy. With close to 4,500 Canadians awaiting organ donation today – 76 per cent whom require a kidney – the Cherry family, RE/MAX and the WHL have come together to create the WHL Suits Up with Don Cherry to Promote Organ Donation – Presented by RE/MAX awareness campaign in support of the Kidney Foundation.

The Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) have acquired the CJHL rights to 1999-born forward Mack Hancock (Kingston, ON) from the Brockville Braves of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) , the team announced New Year's Day.

The 6’2”, 185lb forward previously served as captain for the Greater Kingston Jr. Frontenacs of the Eastern Triple A Minor Midget Hockey League (ETAMMHL) where he scored 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 34 games in the 2014-15 season.

Carangelo, 20, scored 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) in 68 games over two seasons with the Bandits, after being recruited from Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut.

The trade allows the Bandits to remain within the AJHL-mandated limit of 6 1997-born players on the roster, with the addition of defenceman Shane Bear (Calgary, AB).

Team McIntyre of the Coaldale Granite Club went undefeated in the Junior High age group at the Vauxhall Curling Club's Junior Bonspiel to win the A Finals during the Dec. 15-16 weekend.

In the attached photo, left to right are Katie McNeill (Lead), Jasmyn Kallen (Second), Sara Peters(Third) and Jaden McIntyre (Skip). Many thanks to the Vauxhall Curling Club and their volunteers for putting on a great bonspiel for Junior and Senior High School students.

The Brooks Bandits (7-4) trailed after the first and second periods, but scored twice in the span of 14 seconds and four times in the final three minutes of the game, en route to their third straight win, 4-1 over the Olds Grizzlys (4-6-1) on Monday afternoon at the Centennial Regional Arena.

The game was a special Thanksgiving Day game, with the second-largest announced crowd of the season at 1,383, and excellent turnout for a post-game skate with the team.

Despite outshooting the Grizzlys 22-19 in the opening two periods, the Bandits were shut out by Grizzly goalie Andrew Henderson, with the only goal of the game coming on an Olds power play 7:31 into the second when Ryley Smith tapped in a cross-crease pass from Quentin Greenwood off the rush.

It was the only blemish for Mitch Benson (Windsor, ON), who otherwise stopped 19 of 20 shots, and the only slip-up for the Bandits’ penalty kill, which was busy with 8 kills on the night, 7 of them successful.

The Bandits controlled play in the third, however, outshooting the Grizzlys 13-1. Ryan Mahshie (Stoney Creek, ON) thought he had scored on a point blank shot from the right side of the net that he lifted over Henderson, but the puck got caught in the goalie’s equipment and was ruled not to have crossed the line.

It wasn’t until the 17:03 mark that they finally broke through, and on the snakebitten power play to boot, when a high slot shot by Nathan Plessis (Salmon Arm, B.C.) went off an Olds skate and deflected to Orca Wiesblatt (Calgary, AB) at the left side of the net, who swept it in past Henderson to tie the game.

At 17:17 on the ensuing shift, Brandon Scanlin (Hamilton, ON) fired a shot from the left point that deflected off Nic Hamre (Ottawa, ON), then the crossbar, coming straight down and sliding over the goal line to give the Bandits the dramatic go-ahead goal.

In the final minute, Plessis charged to the slot and left a puck that Hamre wristed towards the goal from the top of the crease. It deflected up in the air, and came down to Jake Theis (Chanhassen, MN) at the left side of the net who swept it in past a sprawling Henderson as the referee blew his whistle. After conferring with the linesman and goal judge, the referee awarded the goal, giving Brooks the 3-1 advantage with 31 seconds left.

After a late Olds timeout, Plessis took possession off a defensive zone draw and scored on a breakaway on an empty Grizzly net with 11 seconds left to notch the 4-1 final.

The Bandits will try to make it four in a row when they host the Grande Prairie Storm on Saturday night at 7:00 PM. Tickets are on sale online at tickets.brooksbandits.ca.

The Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) will induct Anthony Paskaruk (Airdrie, AB) into the team’s Smith Group Wall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony on Friday night, it was announced at last night’s home opener.

Paskaruk, 23, will become the second inductee into the Wall of Fame after goaltender Chad Johnson was inducted last year. He is the all-time leader in games played in Brooks Bandits history, having suited up for 281 regular season games, and 357 games total including playoffs.

“I am personally excited to have a recent Alumnus back in Brooks for a Wall of Fame ceremony,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Ryan Papaioannou. “Anthony is our all time games played leader which a is a record that will most likely stand forever. I was fortunate enough to spend 5 years working with and watching him mature as a hockey player and person.”

In that lengthy span as a Bandit, Paskaruk recorded 190 points (68 goals, 122 assists), ranking third on the franchise’s all-time points list and second in assists.

He was a part of both of the Bandits’ first AJHL championship teams, in 2011-12 and 2012-13, and its national championship run in the latter campaign. He won the Top Scorer award at the 2013 RBC Cup in Summerside, PEI, recording 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) in 6 games, and won the AJHL’s Don McNabb Memorial Trophy as Most Dedicated Player in the 2013-14 season.

“During his 5 seasons Anthony helped lay the groundwork for the future success of the organization and was instrumental in building our culture,” Papaioannou added. “His list of achievements while in Brooks is quite long and we are proud to recognize his dedication to the organization on Friday.”

Paskaruk is currently suiting up for Northern Michigan University in his third season of NCAA Division I hockey, and will make the trip back to Brooks and be in attendance for the pre-game ceremony on Friday, as the Bandits will take on the Calgary Mustangs in their third game of the season beginning at 7:00 PM.

Tickets for Anthony Paskaruk Night are on sale now online at tickets.brooksbandits.ca, by phone at (403) 501-0122, or in person at the CRA.

The Brooks Bandits (0-2) dropped their home opener for the second straight year to their divisional rivals, the Okotoks Oilers (2-0) on Saturday night by a 3-1 score, as the Oilers completed the sweep of their season-opening home and home series, following up a 4-2 win the night before.

A crowd of 1,406 at the Centennial Regional Arena in Brooks was the best home opener crowd for the Bandits since 2013, the year the team raised its RBC Cup championship banner. But Jake Theis (Chanhassen, MN) provided the only major burst of noise from the assembled fans with his goal in the second period.

A scoreless first period saw the Bandits outshoot Okotoks 9-4, but backup goalie Ben Howard performed admirable in the absence of star tender Riley Morris for Okotoks.

Two close calls for the Bandits failed to open the scoring; the first a slap shot from the slot by Parker Huebner (Leduc, AB) that rang the right post, and the second a stuff attempt by Conner Jean (Oakland, MI) at the left side of the Oiler net that stuck under the pad of Howard, with the officials conferring with the goal judge before upholding the no goal call.

Austin Wong opened the scoring for the Oilers at 13:24 of the second on an Okotoks odd-man rush, toe-dragging his way around a Bandit defender and firing a top-left corner shot past Mitch Benson (Windsor, ON) to make it 1-0.

The Bandits equalized at 17:26 when Nic Hamre (Ottawa, ON) fired a pass from the left halfwall to a waiting Theis at the right side of the net. His one-timer shot snuck between Howard’s pads to even the score.

But less than a minute later, defenceman Kylor Wall slapped a puck from the blue line that caught a Bandit defender’s skate and ricocheted past Benson for a 2-1 Okotoks lead. Despite doubling the Oilers in shots 14-7 in the second, the Bandits entered the intermission with another deficit.

The only goal of the third period came at 12:15 with Nick Blankenburg speeding by two Bandit defenders and sneaking a shot around Benson and in from the right side of the net for a 3-1 advantage.

The Bandits went 0 for 4 on the power play and a perfect 2 for 2 on the penalty kill, outshooting the Oilers 32-17 in the loss.

The team next hosts the Calgary Mustangs for a Friday night affair at the CRA, where the team’s all-time leader in games played Anthony Paskaruk will be inducted into the team’s Smith Group Wall of Fame. Tickets are available online at tickets.brooksbandits.ca.

Goals from three different rookies were the difference as the Okotoks Oilers (1-0) handed the Brooks Bandits (0-1) a loss in their season opener Friday night in Okotoks.

For the second straight year, the Oilers opened the season with a win over the Bandits, beating Brooks 4-2 at Pason Centennial Arena in front of 673 fans.

Brooks was led by rookie blueliner Luke Bast (Red Deer, AB), who scored both of its goals on slap shots from the point.

The Bandits capitalized on a five-on-three powerplay exactly eight minutes into the first period, as Bast blasted one past Oiler netminder Riley Morris. However, Okotoks responded with a powerplay goal of their own, as Nick Blakenburg was successful on a one-timer from the left circle, beating Bandit starter Mitch Benson (Windsor, ON).

The Oilers offense continued to produce in the second period. Kaleb Ergang stripped a Bandit defender of the puck at the Okotoks blue line and scored unassisted on a breakaway early in the frame, and Marc Pasemko took care of a rebound at the 11:31 mark to make it 3-1.

Early in the third, Okotoks took a 4-1 lead after Austin Wong found a loose puck in front of the Bandit net and scored top-shelf.

Bast added another powerplay goal with 1:38 left in regulation, but that's as close as Brooks would get.

The Bandits Home Opener is Saturday night at the Centennial Regional Arena in a rematch against the Oilers. The game will raise thousands of dollars for local minor hockey

In addition to the game, the Bandits will host a tailgate party in the Centennial Regional Arena parking lot, rain or shine, featuring free food, games, and a bouncy castle for the kids courtesy of Maximum Adventure Park.

All minor hockey kids will be eligible to get in for just $2 per ticket.

Prior to puck drop, the Bandits will introduce their entire 2017-18 roster, and unveil their four championship banners from the 2016-17 season.

Second-year defenceman Dennis Cesana (Providence, RI) will serve as the captain of the Brooks Bandits for the 2017-18 Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) season, head coach Ryan Papaioannou announced Thursday night.

.Cesana will be joined by alternate captains Arnaud Vachon (Ajax, ON), Nic Hamre (Ottawa, ON), and Nolan Thompson (Calgary, AB). He succeeds forward Nick Prkusic (Medicine Hat, AB), who is beginning his NCAA career this season with Robert Morris University.

A 19-year old commit to Michigan State University, Cesana was the second-highest scoring defenceman in the AJHL last season, recording 52 points (12 goals, 40 assists) in 59 games played, sharing the team’s Rookie of the Year award. He added 16 playoff points (6 goals, 10 assists) in 13 games, scored a dramatic shootout winner against Penticton at the 2017 Western Canada Cup, and was the second-highest scoring player at the 2017 RBC Cup with 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists) in 6 games.

“Dennis made a significant impact to our lineup last season culminating with his commitment to Michigan State,” said Papaioannou. “This season, he has an opportunity to replicate the on-ice success while leading our group off the ice. He’s very well-liked by his teammates and will undoubtedly do a fantastic job as our Captain.”

Vachon, 19, was the team’s fifth-highest goal scorer last season and among the leading rookies in the AJHL in that category with 23 of them in 59 games, with a 38-point season in his first Junior A campaign, which led to a commitment to Colgate University in early March. He was also named the winner of the team’s annual Hustler of the Year Award.

“Arnaud comes to work every day with a mindset of leading the team through his work ethic,” Papaioannou noted. “He’s got an extremely competitive nature and does everything to the best of his ability. Off the ice he’s a lead-by-example type and we will look to our players to mimic his actions each day."

Hamre, 20, enters his second season with the Bandits after being recruited from the same team as Cesana, Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, New Hampshire. He tied Vachon for eighth on the team in points last year with 38 of them (19 goals, 19 assists), and was named that season’s recipient of the Nick Crosby Memorial Award.

“Nic is a fierce competitor who plays hard every night and practices the same way,” Papaioannou stated. “He is always willing to stick up for teammates and is well known for his physical game despite being a smaller stature player. Away from the rink Nic has an ability to influence our team in a positive way as a veteran player with championship experience.”

Thompson, 19, enters the team’s captaincy corps in his first season with the organization, after being acquired in an off-season trade with the Calgary Mustangs. In three seasons with the Okotoks Oilers, Thompson has scored 74 points in 138 regular season games, with 325 penalty minutes.

“Nolan is a unique addition to our group as we’ve played against him more than 20 times in the past 3 seasons,” Papaioannou explained. “He knows the league well and has demonstrated plenty of growth as a player. Since arriving in Brooks he’s shown a great deal of maturity and will bring a wide-ranging perspective to our leadership group.”

Cesana, Vachon, Hamre, and Thompson will don their letters for the Bandits’ season-opening game tomorrow night in Okotoks against the Oilers at 7:00 PM, before returning home to take on those same Oilers on Saturday night in the Brooks Minor Hockey Bandits Home Opener, presented by Chinook Financial, at 7:00 PM as well. Tickets for the game, which serves as a fundraiser for Brooks Minor Hockey, are available online at tickets.brooksbandits.ca, by phone at (403) 501-0122, or in person at the Centennial Regional Arena.

A healthy exhibition crowd of 1,024 turned out to the Centennial Regional Arena on Aug. 29, seeing their Brooks Bandits (0-1) narrow a three-goal deficit to one, bu ultimately fall to the visiting Okotoks Oilers (1-0) by a 4-2 final score.

The game was the first of the 2017 AJHL pre-season.A turnover at the side of the Bandits net led to the opening goal at the 12:25 mark of the first, when veteran returnee Kyle Gordon slipped the puck past starting goalie Mitch Benson (Windsor, ON) for a 1-0 lead.A pair of power play goals in the second extended the Okotoks lead; the first a point shot by Nick Blankenburg, and the second a net front redirection by Hoon Kim.But the Bandits broke through in the third when Jake Theis (Chanhassen, MN) fired a high shot from the right circle into the top-left corner to put the Bandits on the board at 10:23. At the 15:35 mark, Simon Boyko (Mississauga, ON) cut the deficit to one, hammering in a power play rebound goal from the left circle.But it was as close as the Bandits would get, as another net-front turnover allowed Dylan Holloway to score unopposed on Bandit goalie Andrew Farrier (Montreal, PQ) less than a minute after the Boyko goal to notch the 4-2 final tally.The Bandits return to action for back-to-back pre-season games with the defending BCHL champion Penticton Vees on the weekend. Friday’s game starts at 7pm while Saturday’s finale is at 4pm, with tickets just $5 at the door or purchased online at tickets.brooksbandits.ca.

The Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) will begin their 2017 Main Camp on Friday, Aug. 25, after check-ins by players the night before.

The camp will open with practices from 10-11 a.m. on the Friday, followed by a second practice from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., concluding with an intrasquad game at 3 p.m.Saturday’s schedule will open with practice from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., with an intrasquad game to follow at 5 p.m.Finally, Sunday will conclude the camp with the final intrasquad game at noon.All games and practices will be held at the Centennial Regional Arena, which will be open to the public free of charge.The team’s exhibition schedule will open with a Tuesday night home game on Aug. 29 against the Okotoks Oilers at 7 p.m.Season ticket holders receive free tickets to all exhibition games, as well as the first chance at tickets to the 2019 RBC Cup national championship tournament. Reserve seats online at: tickets.brooksbandits.ca.